Who else here doesn't have children?

[Sysman]

The answer is a simple matter of never meeting the right bird at the right time. I also fancied foreign birds more than British ones, and that brought cultural differences which didn't always work out. That was particularly noticeable with a Brazilian bird. She was incredibly cheapskate on the food side of things, probably out of historical necessity, but every time she came to stay I would find my cupboards full of crap that I would bin as soon as she went home. Have you ever seen a grey mince dish? (soon resolved with some canned tomatoes and tomato purée, but you get the idea.)

That is worth addressing on its own merits.

A colleague originally from Cameroon warned me about this from his own experience. He explained that folks from the third world have much stronger family ties than we do, which is a Good Thing, but when they arrive in the West they feel responsible for the family they left behind and will exist on the cheapest cuts of meat etc so that they have more money to send back home.

He was proud to have done this for his family and once his sister was established in the US and able to contribute he felt that finally he could ease off and start enjoying his wealth. His advice for anyone from the West was to avoid such ties.

[Sysman]

How old are you sysman? I don't like it, either.

PS. I read that as 'hooker'.

I am 58. Out of interest how old are you? (A ladies prerogative is to lie or answer by PM)

But on the bright side I am moving to a farm next week. I am looking forward to getting fit.

[MaryPoppins]

I am 58. Out of interest how old are you? (A ladies prerogative is to lie or answer by PM)

But on the bright side I am moving to a farm next week. I am looking forward to getting fit.

I was 34 yesterday.

Ah, lovely. Thats my end goal. [farm]

[Mich the Tester]

That is worth addressing on its own merits.

A colleague originally from Cameroon warned me about this from his own experience. He explained that folks from the third world have much stronger family ties than we do, which is a Good Thing, but when they arrive in the West they feel responsible for the family they left behind and will exist on the cheapest cuts of meat etc so that they have more money to send back home.

He was proud to have done this for his family and once his sister was established in the US and able to contribute he felt that finally he could ease off and start enjoying his wealth. His advice for anyone from the West was to avoid such ties.

Good story but poor advice from your Cameroonian colleague; it's remittances and family ties that are giving African migrants and their families back home more and more economic clout these days.

[Sysman]

Good story but poor advice from your Cameroonian colleague; it's remittances and family ties that are giving African migrants and their families back home more and more economic clout these days.

You make an excellent point sir. When I was working in Africa myself I had the vision to do outsourcing of development work. My African colleagues would have welcomed the extra income (whoop we had serious computer power doing very little in the evenings). My team had better degrees from UK universities than I did. Talent wasn't a problem and neither was sport. Have you ever come across someone who can get under par on a golf course with only one club? Bloody good caddies who could teach you as well.

Unfortunately i got derailed by the desire to get that nice country cottage in the UK countryside when I really should have put my energies into an African project.

Well, that and my mum announcing that she was dying... I really couldn't cope with the thought of not being able to catch a flight back to see her that one last time.

[Sysman]

Good story but poor advice from your Cameroonian colleague; it's remittances and family ties that are giving African migrants and their families back home more and more economic clout these days.

Oh and:

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Mich the Tester again.

Can someone please do the necessary?

[SimonMac]

Oh and:



Can someone please do the necessary?

Obliged

[SimonMac]

1) Because I would not feel like part of the family and would not know what my role was with regards to discipline etc.

2) I would like to have my own kids, and i think it would be a strange dynamic to have 2 out of the 3 disappearing to their dads every weekend and 1 staying behind.

3) If i did have a child with her, while her 2 were still seeing their dad, i would always favour my own one.

4) They have to live close to their dad in central london, and i would like to be further out in the country

A piece of paper doesn't make you part of the family, if you can't work that out the rest is futile

[Sysman]

Doh!

That's what the light switch is for!

But I couldn't help feeling I would be seen as her toyboy.

Oh, and there was a nice young lady student at the time who took a shine to me...

Dunno what the attraction of a father figure is, but these furrin birds seem OK with the idea.

[Zippy]

I have two step ladders, I have always longed for a ladder all of my own

Gosh! I've always wanted a snake.